Second Hand
by FranklyMyDear89
Summary: Duo finally looked back to the now empty table and then confusedly at his rapidly departing comrades. He grabbed his pack, shoving the remnants of his sack lunch in the trash, and ran to catch up. "What'd I say?" 1xR, 2xOC, 3x4
1. Ladies' Choice

**Second Hand**

Summary: The Gundam pilots learn a valuable lesson about communication. Can they get their stories straight before people get hurt? 1xR, 2xOC, 3x4

A/N: Speaking of miscommunication, this story is based on the assumption of a **sixth gundam pilot** who represents Earth and those who want to live in peace with the colonies, but who aren't part of the Sanc Kingdom. Her name is Sexta – though Duo likes to call her Sexy as a joke – in accordance with the pilots' names meaning numbers. She's technically like an official 06, and her gundam is called The Avenger. It also is only loosely based on the series, so it can almost be considered AU since it takes place at a school I made up. If you get confused, I'm really sorry. I have a prequel rolling around in my head that would better explain, but this thought was more definitive so you get it first.

Don't kill me please! Kay here we go.

**Chapter one: Ladies' Choice**

They'd only been at the Weyland Private Academy for the better part of a month, but the gundam pilots had already fallen into routine at their latest boarding school. They'd made sure that none of them were in more than one class with another comrade, but it quickly became a ritual for the six teens to share their lunchtime together. Given the large number of Oz related buildings, bases and facilities in the area, they had plenty of missions to split between themselves without needing to move for a while, which was a nice quasi-break that even Wufei found himself enjoying.

Sexta had recently paired up with Duo, leaving Wufei and Heero as partners, and naturally Quatre and Trowa worked together as well. It was a comfortable alliance that they'd fallen into now that nearly all their missions required two men on the job. Quatre thought it was great that everyone seemed to get along and that he was able to spend so much time with the five other people that understood what a difficult life they were all living. Sure, they were all just as lethal alone, but it was better for their sanity, not being completely cut off from everyone.

Lord knows what Duo was talking about this time, but he filled the silence that otherwise would have over taken the lunch hour, and Sexta had to admit that his gesticulations were more than amusing, even if she was only half paying attention to him. In fact, she nearly missed the quiet female footsteps approaching from behind her because Duo was waving his arms around like a mad man in a highly distracting manner. "Incoming," she whispered to Heero, warning him of Relena's proximity. She didn't need to turn around to know that it was Heero's annoying friend since no one else would have the guts to come up to a group as – intimidating – as theirs.

"Hello Heero." Wufei noticed that he wasn't the only one at the table trying to keep his eyes from rolling at the overly sweet voice. It wasn't that he didn't like Relena, he just had issues with how dramatic she could be at times. He could tell, though, that she genuinely had feelings for Heero, and to him that was definitely on her list of saving graces.

"Relena." Heero made sure to keep the emotion from his voice as he gave the shortest response possible without seeming rude. He wasn't sure he enjoyed what Relena tended to do to him, but regardless of the fact that he caught himself hoping to see her, he couldn't deny the confusion that set in when she was around.

Relena wasn't the least bit surprised with Heero's short greeting, and was actually quite pleased that he'd chosen to say her name instead of some generic salutation. Her heart sped up a little now that the ball was back in her court, but she steeled herself, not allowing the anxious feeling in her stomach to deter her. "I was hoping that you'd accompany me to the Ladies' Choice Dance next Saturday."

It wasn't hard for Heero to notice the slight gleam of sweat on the girl's forehead, but he couldn't understand its presence. It was only seventy-three degrees outside, and with the slight breeze floating through the courtyard, her body temperature should have been at a pleasant equilibrium with the environment. Despite not understanding, he quickly answered her, knowing what it would be almost before she finished forming the question. "Of course."

Relena did her best to hide how truly elated she was, although she couldn't help the smile that spread across her features. "Wonderful. I greatly look forward to it." she curtsied, probably a little too quickly, and made her way back towards the library. If she was going to be out Saturday evening, she'd have to make sure her studies wouldn't be hindered by it.

Duo grinned and shook his head as Heero watched her go. "Sheesh. You guys should have been born centuries ago with the way you two talk to each other."

Heero averted his eyes and pretended to return his attention to the book in his lap. After a moment of rereading the same sentence three times, he set it down and turned back to Duo, who was still grinning madly. "She's just formal is all," he stated, which apparently satisfied his friend.

Duo's grin turned to a frown as he began to think about what had just happened. "And since when was there a dance next weekend? I didn't hear about it in the announcements." Granted, he hardly listened to them, but in the case of a dance, he was sure they would have registered on his attention meter.

"I heard talk in the locker room," Quatre interjected. It surprised all five of them that he had joined track instead of a music program, but he had insisted that it would be more conducive with their missions, keeping him in the best shape possible. "It's an unofficial school activity," he continued, "that's why they didn't announce anything. It's supposed to be a big deal though.

Duo's grin returned. This was exactly the thing he'd been needing the last few weeks; a chance to really show off, and where better than the dance floor? "Cool; dances just so happen to be my expertise." He ignored the snort from Wufei as he leaned over to Sexta, who had quickly taken the opportunity to steal Heero's book while Duo and Relena distracted him. "Hey Sexy, wanna go?"

Quatre nearly choked on his drink, blushing as he sputtered incredulously. "Duo! It's Ladies' Choice! That means the girl has to ask _you_." Trowa shook his head. Duo may be a chatterbox, but he needed to work on his listening skills. It was a wonder that he hadn't botched any missions because of it. Sexta just ignored him, finding that was the easiest way to move the conversation away from her.

Duo blinked. "Oh," he said as the idea sunk in and threw him off for a moment. He never really considered having to wait for a girl to ask him. But Sexta wasn't really a girl, she was one of them. In his mind, that should have been obvious to everyone else. "Well, are you gonna ask me or aren't ya?" he asked once he realized that no one was going to insist that she didn't count as a girl.

Sexta finally looked up from the book and stared at him for a few moments. If she was going to the dance, and apparently she was now expected to, she probably would have asked Duo, but as a rule, she didn't let Duo take the lead, on or off the mission, since he tended to get a little full of himself. Kind of like right now. "You're ridiculous," she said.

"What?" Duo asked indignantly. "It isn't as if you have any _other_ friends to go with." Of the five guys, Duo knew that he was closest to her. Yeah, she didn't mind sitting quietly with Heero, Trowa or Wufei, and she chatted easily with Quatre, but he was the one that she opened up to the most when they were alone. Shouldn't that get him a date to a dance?

Sexta flushed and stood up quickly, sending him a glare as she slammed Heero's book down on the lunch table. Without another word she picked up her bag and left, furious that he'd actually said something so – so – untrue! Well, she thought to herself as she made her way back into the school building, she'd show him.

There was a moment of silence as everyone stared at either Duo or Sexta's retreating form, and then Heero picked up his book, taking his cue to head off to the other end of the building where the dorms were located. The other three packed up quietly while Duo continued to look slack-jawed at the doorway Sexta had disappeared through. "And they say Heero's tactless," muttered Trowa as they began to walk away as well.

Duo finally looked back to the now empty table and then confusedly at his comrades. He grabbed his pack, shoving the remnants of his sack lunch in the trash, and ran to catch up. "What'd I say?"

A/N: _ one down, x amount to go. Should be around six more chapters. Hope y'all can handle it!

FMD~


	2. A Dateless Duo

**Second Hand**

Summary: The Gundam pilots learn a valuable lesson about communication. Can they get their stories straight before people get hurt? 1xR, 2xOC, 3x4

A/N: I have officially decided that I should be a script writer, since the dialogue seems to be my main driving force, which is good for you because I've already completed that chunk of the story. At this rate, we should be done in no time! Yay! Okay, okay, I'll shut up now and let you read.

**Chapter Two: A Dateless Duo**

Duo kicked a small rock against the stucco wall on the south side of the gym. He'd been in a foul mood all week. No matter how many times he brought it up in conversation, Sexta still refused to discuss the dance with him. He wasn't sure why it bothered him so much, but it was steadily driving him mad. "I can't believe she hasn't asked me yet," he complained as he kicked another rock at the wall even harder. Wufei, who was sitting against the wall, shot him a glare as the rock shot off the wall and into the back of his head. Duo took the hint and squatted down where the cement met the lawn and started uprooting some of the grass. "I mean the dance is tomorrow, for crying out loud. How long does she think I'm gonna keep turning down girls so she can get up the nerve already?"

Quatre gave him a worried glance, hearing past the annoyance in his voice to the dejected sound of someone who was really disappointed. He opened his mouth to say something that would cheer him up, but Trowa, who hadn't even looked up from his chem homework, put a hand on his shoulder, silencing him with a small shake of his head. Wufei simply sighed and stood up. "You truly are an imbecile," he informed the braided boy.

Duo rolled his eyes, looking up and over his shoulder without pausing in his attempts to kill the grass at his feet. "Thanks, 'Fei. Love you too."

"I'd find a date if I were you, Duo," Quatre said quietly, looking to Trowa to make sure he was saying the right thing. "I've heard it's considered socially unacceptable for a guy to show up without one."

Wufei, who was still pissed off about the rock, continued to glare at him. "You'll be the laughing stock of the whole school before the first note is played," he rubbed in.

Duo jumped up, hands balled into fists, but Wufei just folded his arms and snorted. It wasn't worth drawing attention to the group with a fight just because Duo was frustrated with Sexta. He looked up as he put his back to Duo. Speaking of… "Who are we talking about?" their female companion asked as she approached. She thought that Duo looked pissed a moment ago, but when he turned to face her he looked a bit like he'd seen a ghost, which didn't make sense at all.

"Oh, no one in particular, Sexta," said Quatre with a wave and a smile, hoping she'd drop it now that Duo wasn't about to kill Wufei. "I was wondering," he added, changing subjects, "would you help me with my dance attire? I'm afraid it isn't quite up to my expectations, but I'm not sure how to rectify the situation." It wasn't a lie, really, since he really did want her help, but he was glad he could use his request as a distraction.

The topic change wasn't lost on her, but she let it go, trusting Quatre's judgment that she didn't want to know what was being said. She was a little curious, though, at what they would try to keep from her. She glanced at Duo again, noting his uncharacteristic silence. He'd done nothing but talk about the dance when she was around, and now that it was so close, he just stopped? She mentally shrugged to herself. He must have finally found a date then. "Sure Quat," she said, turning back to her Arabian friend. "Did you want to do that now? I have some time before my last class."

Quatre relaxed his shoulders a little. The sooner he got her away from Duo, the less awkward things would be for everyone. "That'd be wonderful, thank you so much." He gathered his text books and waved to everyone as they headed around the gym towards the boys' dorms.

Duo watched them go, hands buried deep in his pockets, and as soon as they rounded the corner, he sighed, leaning back against the wall behind him. He swung his head to the side, appraising his remaining friends. "Do you guys have a date?" he asked, although he was sure he already knew the answers. Trowa might have said yes to a girl to be nice, but there was no way Wufei would even go near the dance.

"I acquired one nearly a week ago," Trowa said, shuffling his papers around and glancing at his open text book.

Wufei colored slightly and he prayed that neither boy noticed. "As did I," he ground out, not looking at either of them.

"What?! Who?" Duo exclaimed, pushing off the wall and staring at each of them in turn. When had this happened? Was he the only one that _didn't_ have a date? Maybe Sexta _had_ found one and that's why she wouldn't ask him. He blanched at that thought. No way.

"That is none of your business, Maxwell," Wufei hissed, willing the heat from his face. This was _so_ embarrassing.

Trowa tapped his paperes against the concrete before stuffing them inside his book. "You'll find out tomorrow evening," he said calmly.

Duo was about ready to tear his braid out. This was unbelievable. "You are the worst friends ever."

Wufei sniffed. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"I have things that need attending to," Trowa said, standing up and tucking his book under his arm.

"Me too," Wufei said quickly, taking off before anyone could stop him. It took every ounce of self restraint to not break out into a run as he crossed the grass back to the main building.

Duo put his arm out, as though trying to stop him, his mouth hanging open in confusion. "Uh, bye," he said, mostly to himself since Wufei was already too far away to hear him.

Trowa shook his head as he watched Duo. He should have asked the obvious question while he still had the chance. He sighed. What was the word Heero was always using for him? "Baka," he accused before turning on his heel and heading back into the gym.

Duo stared after him for a minute in confusion. "What'd I do?!"

A/N: poor Duo, everyone's picking on him. *grins evilly* ah the power! Muahaha! But enough of _my_ rantings, this is the part where you tell me your thoughts by pressing that pretty little button in the middle of your screen down there. Go ahead, _it's calling to you! _


	3. Clothing Conundrums

**Second Hand**

Summary: The Gundam pilots learn a valuable lesson about communication. Can they get their stories straight before people get hurt? 1xR, 2xOC, 3x4

A/N: Okay people, it's time to pout. My one reviewer guessed what was happening in this chapter. Sigh… oh well, it was kind of obvious anyway given how well we all know the characters. Not my worst failure. Anyway, thank you Amy, I'm glad you're sticking around. On another note, I've created a forum, my first, I'm proud to say, that is everything and anything Sexta, so if you're feeling confused or curious for anything beyond the story, check it out.

**Chapter three: Clothing Conundrums**

Sexta slipped quietly past Quatre as he held open the door to his and Trowa's room. It was strictly forbidden for a girl to go into the boys dorms, and while school punishments didn't frighten them, it was best that no one realize that they were all quite a bit closer than everyone else was currently aware of. Besides, Sexta didn't need the drama of everyone thinking she and Quat were a couple.

Glancing around the hallway once more to make double sure that no one had seen her, Quatre entered the room as well, immediately flashing Sexta a classic Winner smile and heading over to his open wardrobe where he had a suit hanging. "I was thinking perhaps this white suit with a lavender vest," he said, taking it off the rack and laying it on the bed, a frown replacing his grin, "but my date's eyes are green." Sexta blinked that it was matching his date's eyes that had him so worried. Noticing her look, and misunderstanding, Quatre went into panic mode. "Do you think that will clash too much? I could go for a more natural color but I don't look that great in browns."

Sexta laughed as she flopped onto the bed, making him smile again. Besides Duo, Sexta had the most care-free attitude of them all, and was the best at not taking things too seriously. He should have known she wasn't worried. "That's just because you're fair, Quat," she said, jumping up again to stand next to him. "Can't help that." She threw a companionable arm around his shoulders as she looked down at the suit. If anything it complimented his own eyes, but he was right; brown and aquamarine did _not_ go well together. "But your date didn't say what she was wearing? Usually the girl is good about those kinds of things."

Quatre blushed and glanced at the opposite side of the room in discomfort. "N-no, my date didn't say anything."

Sexta leaned away from him for a moment, assessing his reaction. As empathetic as Quatre could be, and as open as he was with his emotions, she still couldn't read his mind the way she could Duo's. Of course, she allowed herself, that's probably because she worked with the American. The only time she couldn't read the idiot was when he went Shinigami, and thankfully that wasn't too often. She shook her head, bringing her thoughts back to the room. "Weird. Well, maybe black would be better. It's certainly more traditional, and will accent her dress no matter what color it is. And you'll look just as stunning as I will," she added with a wink and a nudge.

"You're going in black?" Quatre perked up. If she knew what she was wearing, then she would be a lot more helpful than he thought. Even though Sexta was a girl, she was still one of the guys and he was taking a stab in the dark when he asked her to help him out.

Sexta rolled her eyes. If she could have gotten away with red, she would have, but as it was, she was stuck. "Yeah, my date is very…monochromatic. I couldn't get him to wear anything but black and white, and I look better in the former. All blondes do." She dropped her arm and went over to the wardrobe, looking through his clothes. She assumed he bought all of this once they were stationed here; usually they all packed lighter than this.

Quatre came over to join her, but stood back and let her do the rifling. She took something off the rack, held it up to him, shook her head and went back to her search. "Do you mind if I ask who you're going with?" he asked guardedly, and she stopped mid-swipe. He still hadn't pinned her down yet and wasn't sure if his question was out of line or not. Sexta was different in that way; she was so good at mimicking the personalities of people around her, she didn't seem to have one of her own.

She turned back to him, lowering her arms and standing up a little straighter. She had to mask that she'd thought of Duo when he asked the question, especially since she was sure it was just because the moron hadn't stopped bugging her all week about it, but Quatre didn't need to witness her mini inner conflict. "I thought it'd be obvious." When he just waited for her to continue, she sighed and finally gave in. "I'm going with Wufei."

Quatre felt like pointing out that no, that was definitely _not_ obvious, especially since he wasn't aware that he'd found a date, or was even going at all. Perhaps that was why he'd seemed on edge earlier. "Really?" he asked, verifying that he'd heard correctly. "I'm surprised he consented to go."

Sexta grinned evilly as she turned back to her task. "I threatened to steal parts from Nataku the next time The Avenger needs repairs," she laughed.

Quatre laughed as well, hiding his smile behind his hand. "That sounds a bit more like him." He studied her a moment longer, and feeling emboldened by their conversation so far, he took a chance and chose to be a little more honest with her. "I'm also a little surprised you asked him. I would have thought you'd ask Duo."

She snorted, but looked a little offended as well. He could feel some underlying turmoil and wondered if she was even sure how she felt about their fellow pilot. "After that stunt he pulled?" she asked indignantly. "No way. I'd never live it down."

Quatre quickly moved the conversation away from her, knowing not to push her, especially if he still wanted her to find an outfit for him. "That is true. It would only add to his sense of confidence, and that's already far enough off the charts."

"You can say that again. He just needs to see that cockiness doesn't always get him what he wants." She turned again and put a hand on her hip, leaning forward in a very threatening manner, making Quatre lean back and away from her, more than a little nervous at the mood change. "But speaking of dates, who asked you to the dance? I'm _dying_ to know."

Quatre, who had his hands up at this point, felt like he was the one that would be dying soon. Allah, but she was scary when she went into interrogator mode. "Well, I did more of the asking in this case," he admitted quietly, knowing that he wouldn't be able to hide it tomorrow, anyway.

She quickly stepped back in surprise. "What?! After all the flack you gave Duo, you went and asked a girl to the dance? That's not like you Quat," she said worriedly, and to Quatre it looked like she was debating to put her hand on his forehead to check for a fever.

"No!" he said, waving his hands to make her understand. "I-I didn't ask a girl to the dance."

Sexta, who was still leaning away from him in suspicion, tried to formulate a theory that would satisfy the scenario that he offered her. All she got for her efforts was a headache. "I don't get it."

Quatre blushed, but stood up straight, feigning more confidence than he had. Of course, this wasn't nearly as bad as when he'd actually had to do the asking. He still wasn't sure if he'd spoken in full words at the time, even if somehow his message had gotten across. He took a deep breath. "I asked Trowa."

"Oh Quat!" she exclaimed in a voice both surprised and apprehensive. "And he said yes?" she asked, not sure what to make of Quatre or Trowa being romantically inclined to one another. When she stopped to think about it, it wasn't as non sequitur as it could have been. If she'd known what to look for, perhaps she would have noticed earlier.

Amazingly, rather than blushing more, Quatre smiled happily. "Yes he did. I…" he trailed off, remaining a little pink. "I think this means we're taking it slowly, but it has to mean that he feels strongly about me as well or he wouldn't risk such a public display like this with me."

"I'm honestly shocked," Sexta admitted, but went back to sorting through the closet. Quatre took that to mean that while she wasn't expecting it, she wasn't grossed out by it. That was his biggest fear; that his friends wouldn't understand. "But I'm glad at least someone in this group is going on a date they want to go on," she added, giving him a companionable smirk.

"I think Heero and Relena will be happy to be with each other," Quatre countered, desperately wanting to change the subject again. He was going to go on, but was distracted when Sexta's face lit up and she pulled out a suit from the very back. He'd forgotten about that one.

Sexta laid it out on the bed next to the white one. The lines and material were practically the same, but the matching black vest underneath wasn't ruffled, which Sexta saw as an improvement. "Yeah, if Heero ever takes his head out of his butt long enough to figure out that she's what he wants," she said, remembering the conversation before he did.

Quatre nodded his head as he looked over the suit she'd picked. If he recalled it was a little tighter than he'd really wanted, but there wasn't enough time to get it tailored before the dance. He'd just have to grin and bear it. "True," he said, distractedly.

"Okay," she said, seeing the conversation was being lost on him as he tried to really concentrate on the outfit. She picked it up and pushed it into the Arab's hands. "Time to put it on and see what we think."

Quatre smiled gratefully at her and nodded. "Right."

A/N: Okay, Quatre's been outed! About time we took care of that matter of business, yeah? And honestly, I wish most people would react that way when they find out someone is gay. It's not the end of the world, and frankly, your opinion doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things, right? Whatever floats your boat, I say. And you know what floats _my_ boat? Reviews! Shame on you if you were thinking something dirty! As your punishment, you must send a review to me. *puts on Schwartzeneggar voice* Do it now!


	4. A Date Finds Duo

**Second Hand**

Summary: The Gundam pilots learn a valuable lesson about communication. Can they get their stories straight before people get hurt? 1xR, 2xOC, 3x4

A/N: Well, I'm not sure if you guys are lucky or not, because you're getting a few chapters at once, but they're coming later because for some weird reason, if wouldn't upload them earlier. I'm hoping it's a widespread thing, so I'm not the only one that looks like a dick for not posting. Anyway, this one's a bit shorter than normal, but I think y'all will survive.

**Chapter four: A Date finds Duo**

It was Saturday morning, and oddly it found Duo pacing on the side of the library. Wufei had laid out his suit for the dance the night before and he'd spent a good part of the night across the room trying to ignore it. He was smart enough not to talk about the dance around Wufei again, but it was killing him that Sexta never ended up asking him. He'd contemplated going back to one of the girls that _had_ asked him, but he knew that wouldn't work. So instead, he gave up on sleep and wandered the campus. Once the sun came up, he stuck around the library, figuring that would be last place his friends would look for him.

"Hey Duo?"

He jumped and spun, half surprised, half ready for a fight. He really was distracted if someone could sneak up on him like that. his heart slowed down, though, as he recognized the girl in a jogging uniform, water bottle in hand. It had freaked him out that she'd known what school he'd been transferred to, but if Relena could stalk Heero, it wouldn't be impossible for his friend to find him as well. "Hilde, what's up?"

She smirked a little at how jumpy he was, but otherwise didn't comment. She checked her watch, bouncing from foot to foot, obviously still mid run when she approached him. she'd have to make it quick if she didn't want to lose her heart rate. "If you haven't found a date to the dance yet, you could always go with me. I wasn't planning on it, but I don't want you showing up there by yourself either." She'd seen him turning girls down all week, and had heard from Quatre that no one else so far was taking him, so it wasn't difficult to guess what had happened.

Duo slumped in defeat, knowing that his friend wouldn't be offended by it. "Yeah, okay," he said dejectedly. Standing straighter he rubbed the back of his neck. "I thought for sure Sexta was gonna ask me to go with her, but…"

Hilde smiled, and did her best not to laugh. "You really like her don't you, Duo?"

He blinked and frowned but she raised an eyebrow, and made him think about it a little harder. Was that what had been bothering him all week? It made sense. He'd grown so close to his partner the last few weeks, working with her. And who else could he share his obsession with pyrotechnics with? The girl carried even more grenades than he did. Apparently he was better at lying to himself than he thought. He put on a big smile that was a little too fake. "Yeah, I guess I do. Too bad it's not the other way around, huh?"

Hilde's bouncing slowed for a moment as she gave him a sad look. She hadn't meant to upset him. "Duo…" she said quietly.

Runner that he was, Duo quickly changed the subject. The last thing he needed, besides someone informing him of his own likes and wants, was a friend's pity. "So what color should I wear? Hot pink? Turquoise?"

Hilde got the hint and smiled as she smacked him in the arm. "Close. The one dress I have is emerald taffeta."

Duo gave her a blank look and circled his hand in a coaxing wave. "Translating to?" he had no idea how to speak girl. Or fashion. Or whatever it was that she had said.

She rolled her eyes. She should have known she'd have to dumb it down for him. "Shiny dark green," she said slowly, making sure he caught it all.

A mask of resolve and determination slid into place and he started to walk away. "Okay. Let's see what I can dig up before tonight," he called over his shoulder with a wave. He had a lot of thinking to do before he saw Sexta at the dance that night.

Hilde stopped bouncing completely and stared after him. He just took off? She threw her water bottle in his direction, missing completely. "You're welcome, Duo!" she huffed. Even from a distance, though, she could see the wheels in his head turning. She smiled, hoping that it was a good idea to open that can of worms. Maybe he'd actually take the bait. Sighing to herself now that she'd completely lost her good heart rate, she retrieved her water bottle and headed back to her dorm. Dancing could be her exercise later that night.

A/N: See? Told you it'd be short. But keep your shirt on, the next one is already up. Of course, if you want to draw out the suspense, you could always review and _then_ move on to the next chapter. *wink, wink, nudge, nudge*


	5. Arrival Surprises

**Second Hand**

Summary: The Gundam pilots learn a valuable lesson about communication. Can they get their stories straight before people get hurt? 1xR, 2xOC, 3x4

A/N: Brace yourself, it's another semi-short one. Don't look at me, though, this is just how things naturally broke up when I changed it to chapter mode.

**Chapter five: Arrival surprises**

Duo leaned against the wall of the gym, surveying those in the group that were already there. Trowa and Quatre were talking quietly with one another a few feet away, and he chuckled a little at the fact that to two of them were wearing practically the same suit. Quatre must have dressed him then, since the taller man never seemed to care much about these things. If it was possible, he probably wouldn't even bother with clothes.

Wufei was standing at the corner of the building, staring intently in the direction of the girls' dorms. He had shown some originality and had gone with long coattails as part of his black suit, but had omitted a vest or tie, and even left the top button of his collar undone. Duo wondered how happy his date would be with that decision.

_His_ date, on the other hand, was leaning against the wall right next to him, and while he had said she looked nice and she was pleased with the tie, they hadn't said much since then. Hilde was such a tomboy that even if she cleaned up nice, she obviously felt uncomfortable. He glanced over at her, taking in her dress again. It was the generic style of the time, which he thought was a little old fashioned, but at least she didn't have poufy sleeves like he'd seen on some of the other girls going by. She fidgeted, pulling at a string on her white gloves.

Looking up again, he saw that Heero and Relena had finally arrived, and, well, it would have been a little hard to miss them. Relena was wearing a similar dress to Hilde, only her skirt was longer and was made of a light pink silk, though her gloves were also white. Heero had on a white suit with a matching pink vest, which was thankfully practically hidden under his jacket. He too, left out the tie. Duo was starting to feel like he was the most normal person there.

Heero nodded in greeting as he and Relena approached the group of pilots waiting outside the gym. The transformation was incredible, leaving Heero to wonder where all the lights and plants had come from. It was simplistically elegant, and suited the theme well; based off an old Shakespearian play, the gym was mean to resemble a magical garden. Even the lilting melody drifting off the dance floor towards them add to and even completed the fairytale ambiance.

Duo, who miraculously dug up a dark green tie to wear with his black suit, shifted restlessly. He didn't mind the idea of everyone waiting outside and going in together until he was actually standing there. He and Heero were the only ones that actually had their dates there; the rest of the girls were still missing in action. "Looks like a lot of people are late," he said, making most of the group roll their eyes.

Trowa, who hadn't rolled his eyes, calmly, if not cryptically, replied, "I don't know what you're talking about." As far as he could tell, the only one they were waiting for was Sexta.

Duo huffed as he waved his arm at Quatre, Trowa and Wufei. "Well none of your dates are here yet." He narrowed his eyes in an accusing manner. "Unless you really didn't get one," he said, directing the comment at Trowa since he was the one to speak up.

Before he could reply, Relena cut him off with a squeal of delight, and everyone turned to look at the corner Wufei had been standing guard at. Relena, who had spotted the girl first, walked over quickly, and took her hands. "Sexta, you look fantastic tonight," she said with a big smile. Everyone else just stood and stared for a moment.

Sexta actually blushed, feeling slightly uncomfortable under all the scrutiny. Perhaps she'd been a little _too_ bold when she chose her dress. It was black velvet and sat slightly off the shoulders. The skirt was also a little longer in the back, which showed off the red silk lining underneath, and her black gloves only went to her wrists instead of the elbow. She looked down at Relena's hands still held in hers and she felt a little bit better. "Thank you Relena. You look quite elegant yourself." Sexta smirked at the look Duo was giving her, and noticed Hilde at his side. Looked like he really _did_ have a date then. "And Hilde cleaned up pretty good too," she said, trying to break the ice.

It worked, and everyone laughed. Hilde pulled at her skirt as though to make sure it was still there. "Thanks, I think," she said with a grin.

Wufei put his arm around Sexta's waist, causing her to look up at him. His eyes, though, were on Duo as he asked, "Are you ready?" He looked down at her and gave her a small smile which would have been lost on anyone who wasn't a gundam pilot.

She smiled as well, a bit more openly, and he removed his arm, offering it to her instead. She linked hers around his and suppressed a nervous sigh. "Absolutely," she said, and they made their way over to the entrance.

Duo stood slack jawed after them. She'd chosen Wufei over him? "You're joking," he whispered in denial. Did she really hate him that much?

Heero silently offered his arm to Relena and they followed behind Wufei and Sexta. While he didn't know that the two were going together, he didn't understand why it was such a big deal. If they wanted to go to a dance, they were allowed to go to a dance.

Duo opened his mouth, the comment, _Shouldn't we wait for the other girls to get here? _on the tip of his tongue when Quatre sighed heavily and Trowa put a hand on the blonde's shoulder. The comment died as he took in the comforting gesture with distracted confusion. Quatre straightened and smiled bravely. "I suppose we should bite the bullet too, Trowa."

Trowa let his hand drop so he could lace his fingers with Quatre's. "It'll be fine once we get inside," he said with determination. Quatre squeezed the tall man's hand, feeling better already, even if the nervousness didn't go away. As long as Trowa was by his side, nothing could go too terribly wrong.

Duo watched in disbelief as they, too, made their way to the doors at the other end of the building. He was sure he'd officially lost it. Hilde smiled, highly amused at how everything had gone down so far, and they weren't even at the dance yet. She lifted her hand and pressed up against his chin. "Close your mouth and offer me your arm already," she said good-naturedly, pulling him after his friends.

A/N: I have to say, I feel for Duo here; I'm always the last one to find anything out. Sadnesses for me and Violet-Eyes. But you know how to fix that for me, right? Instead of noticing the mistakes you see and moving on like everyone else, you can send me a review and clue me in for once in my life! Go ahead, it'll be fun! XD


	6. Part of the Plan

**Second Hand**

Summary: The Gundam pilots learn a valuable lesson about communication. Can they get their stories straight before people get hurt? 1xR, 2xOC, 3x4

A/N: Okay people, this has been a long time coming, I know, but I'm finally posting it. Hopefully you'll forgive me, though, since it's nice and long ^^;; now, let the drama ensue!

**Chapter six: Part of the Plan**

Duo waited until he was sure that no one was looking and stole another glance at the clock on the wall just under the scoreboard. 10:38. He flinched as he realized it'd only been six and a half minutes since the last time his eyes flashed over to it, but he stifled it as best he could when he felt Hilde's attention drifting back towards him. The group was seated at a round table near the back of the gym, the furthest from the dance floor, even if it had a clear view of the students and the live band. Conversation had been abandoned nearly a half hour ago since the music drowned out any and all attempts of it, even at the far end of the room, and it was driving Duo nuts. He'd tried to just talk through it, but being interrupted fifty million times with a screamed, "What?" had gotten very old very fast. He wondered if he should just give up on trying to get Sexta off on her own tonight, especially since Wufei seemed plastered by her side. It was downright depressing, thinking that Justice Boy was the one to steal her away from him. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and forced a casual smile.

Wufei, who was positioned on the other side of Hilde, noticed how anxious Duo was acting and it was all he could do not to reach over and smack him. He didn't even _want_ to know what the American was like to be stuck with on a stake out. Sighing to himself, he shifted his arm to a more comfortable perch on the back of Sexta's chair. It wasn't necessarily out of fondness that he had put it there, but the look on her face when she approached the gym was one of forced bravery, and he immediately knew that he would have a key role in how well that bravery lasted the night. So as her date, blackmail aside, he would do his best to protect her from whatever worries she had – and he had a feeling Duo was going to make that job very difficult if he _didn't stop fidgeting!_ He sucked in a deep breath through his nose and tried to calm himself. He wouldn't do her much good if he lost control and pummeled him into the floorboards, tempting as that thought was.

Noticing the shift of his arm, Sexta turned to face her date and offered him a small smile of reassurance as she sipped her punch. She knew that Duo was aggravating him – hell, he was aggravating her too – but short of shooting him in the foot, she doubted there was much they could do about it. There was another hour and eighteen minutes left of the dance, and at the rate they were going, her partner would be shouting and bouncing off the walls in less than half that time. Not that it was completely his fault; so far the band had only played the more structured genres – waltz, fox trot, salsa – and Duo leaned more to the American style of rock and techno, the types of things you could jump around to without needing to know any formal steps. He was quite good at freestyle, when given the chance, but this was not the atmosphere for it, and she was sure they were both disappointed.

Quatre's head felt like it was buzzing; not only was the music entirely too loud for him, but the charged emotions zipping around the table was enough to drive him insane. He was tempted to just scream at everyone, or jump up and bolt out of the room just to get away from it, but neither action would come across the way he would mean it to and he didn't want to upset his friends. He didn't even notice that his leg had been bouncing on the ball of his foot until he felt a hand on his knee. He closed his eyes with a sigh; he knew without looking that it was Trowa. It was amazing how such a quiet gesture from his partner could calm his entire being. He was so glad that he'd had the courage to ask him tonight. It would have been a mistake to go with anyone else, even if it would have been easier. They'd received quite a few judging looks since they arrived hand in hand, but Trowa made it all worth it. Besides, they wouldn't be at the school long enough for the ridicule to mean anything to them. Opening his eyes, he gave Trowa a contented smile, wiping the worry from his green eyes. He wondered, though, if they'd make it to the dance floor tonight. Holding hands and sitting together was one thing; he wasn't sure what dancing would do to the fragile situation, or if Trowa even wanted to. He was even more guarded tonight than normal, and Quatre couldn't read him.

Heero glanced up from the point on Relena's hand –which she had placed on top of his twenty eight and a third minutes ago – that he'd been staring at in fascination to look at the band on the other end of gym. The volume had finally been reduced to a much more tolerable level, although the muffled feeling around his ears told him that it would take a few more minutes to adjust to the differential. The lowered volume didn't make the music any less distracting, though, because he could still hear how the beat the drummer had set was irregular by about a sixteenth of a second every fourth beat. It didn't matter that the rest of the band matched it, it was still off, and it annoyed him slightly that he couldn't correct it from where he sat. Regardless, the way Relena swayed to it was enough to make him let it go and return his attention to her hand.

Trowa was grateful to whoever had adjusted the volume on the amplifiers and allowed his shoulders to relax a little. He may have put on a brave face for Quatre, but he wouldn't allow the blonde to see just how nervous he was. It wasn't every day your partner asked you to go to a dance, especially when both parties were male. Quatre had shown a lot of bravery to get him there tonight, and he didn't want to be a disappointment. And he didn't want to admit to himself that he was completely outside his field of training. Lions and mobile dolls were nothing compared to risks he was taking this evening. Steeling himself as a new song began, he stood abruptly, causing everyone at the table to turn in his direction. He put out his hand to Quatre, who had a glint of fear in his eyes, and cleared his throat. "May I have this dance?" he asked, just loud enough for Quatre to hear, and suddenly the whole night had been worth it, just to see to look of pure happiness wash across his partner's face. Without hesitation Quatre jumped up and allowed Trowa to lead him away from the group.

There was silence as the remaining gundam pilots and their dates watched the couple go, but then Hilde was on her feet and dragging a sputtering Duo after them. Heero waited a few more seconds before convincing himself that the purpose of being at a dance was to actually dance, and then he too stood and led Relena to the dance floor, leaving Wufei and Sexta alone at the table. He considered asking her to dance as well, but it wasn't in him to do something simply because the others were, so he remained in his current position at her side. Besides, it was a wonderful excuse to get away from Maxwell for a little bit.

Sexta wasn't fazed by the lack of movement between her and her date, but rather felt more relaxed knowing that there were fewer eyes on her now. She took the opportunity to lean back and slouch in her chair, not minding that Wufei's hand slipped to her shoulder when she did so. She downed the last of her punch and turned her attention back to her comrades on the other end of the room. It was still a little strange seeing Trowa and Quatre with their arms around each other, but the look of absolute bliss on the blonde's face dissipated it. Even Heero seemed to be enjoying himself as he spun Relena around. "I'm so glad those two chose to come together," she said with a happy sigh, not caring which couple Wufei thought she was referring to.

Not that Wufei was concerned with which one she was talking about either. He looked down at her, trying to assess her opinion of the night based on her stance. She seemed relaxed enough, but she couldn't possibly be happy with how things had turned out. "What about you?" he asked, wanting to know the truth of it all. Perhaps she really didn't feel the same way Duo obviously did…?

Sexta blinked, slightly thrown by the question. "Hm?" she stalled. Why was he asking her this now? Wasn't she the one who had asked him in the first place? She was completely capable of making and sticking with her own decisions.

Wufei nearly hit her, but reminded himself that she was just a foolish woman. "Do you wish you'd come with someone else?" he asked, rephrasing the question, hoping that it would be enough and he wouldn't have to spell it out for her any more. He'd get her to admit how she felt if it was the last thing he'd do.

Sexta turned and looked him in the eye, an almost sad smile on her face. The same bravery he'd seen earlier was firmly in place. She'd be damned if she showed him weakness now. "I'm glad to be here with you Wufei." It felt like the truth, even if there was a small portion of falsity in the statement. It was the perfect dodge of the real question, and she ran with it before he could question it, throwing on a rueful grin. "Even if I had to threaten you to come with me," she added to lighten the conversation. "And you know why?"

Wufei debated for half a second whether he should force her to stick to the point he was trying to make, but then reminded himself that to do so would make him fail at protecting her tonight. If she was that bent on avoiding her feelings, then it was because she couldn't handle facing them tonight, and Wufei wouldn't be the one to break her. So he sighed and played along. "Why?" he asked, not really caring what the answer would be.

She glanced back at the dance floor, almost laughing when she noticed Duo nearly tripping over Hilde. She ignored the twitch of pain that flared as the girl laughed and pulled him closer to keep him upright. There was no room for jealousy in this line of work. Self sacrifice was what they did, right? So for the millionth time, she buried the feeling and returned to the situation at hand. "Because I know that someone as skilled with a katana as you must be good at dancing as well," she said, turning back to the china man and grabbing his hand. He smiled for her as they stood, and decided that he may as well prove her right for the time being.

Duo had realized rather quickly that he was not good at, well, he wasn't sure if it was the waltz or the tango; all he knew was that about every other step the bottom of his foot found the top of Hilde's. It wasn't that he had no rhythm, he just wasn't good at following the right order of steps in these kinds of dances, let alone leading them, and Hilde wasn't much of a help, as she kept finding his feet as well. He was all for head banging and mosh pits, if only to have the right to punch someone for stepping on him. As it were, punching Hilde wasn't going to get him any brownie points that night.

Wufei noticed the two fumbling around off to the left side of the floor and silently steered Sexta in their direction. In case he didn't live up to her expectations – which he would, of course – he would at least look that much better when dancing next to Duo. Swinging her around, he put his free hand on her shoulder blade as hers found his bicep, waited for the beat, and began leading her gracefully in wide circles around her partner. Sexta was mildly surprised at just how good he really was, but chose to enjoy the moment. It wasn't a dance, she realized as she matched the way he held himself, it was performance and they the actors. It may have been a simple fox trot, but they dramatized it and as he led her in a promenade, she couldn't help the grin that crept across her face. She should have drug him to a dance _years_ ago.

Duo knew the moment Wufei entered his peripheral that justice boy was doing it on purpose, although only Hilde was aware that both his jaw and his grip on her waist tightened every time the other couple twirled past them. Was he going to flaunt Sexta all night? It was like Wufei was trying to rub it in his face, or punish him or something. Wasn't it bad enough for him as it was, without the constant reminders?

The song ended, leaving a few moments to escape while everyone clapped before the band started up again. Duo wasn't given the chance, though, as Hilde cemented her feet to the floor, and her hand to his wrist. She'd had a feeling that he would try to bolt, but it seemed that she and Wufei were silently trying to play the same game, which was a relief. Duo was so good at running, if she didn't have help then the night would certainly be a disaster for her friend. She shared a small yet conspiring smile with the Chinese pilot as he led Sexta a little bit closer to where they stood. The music was soft and slow once the band started playing again, so she quickly linked her hands behind Duo's neck, cutting off any attempt to leave. She didn't mind when he offered her another fake smile before settling his hands on her waist. This was for his own good after all.

Sexta wasn't sure how it happened, especially since Wufei didn't seem distracted and slow dances were highly uncomplicated, but partway through the song she found herself bumping into someone behind her. She stepped closer to Wufei, trying to get out of the person's way as she looked over her shoulder, ready to apologize. She nearly choked on it, though, when her mind registered Duo as the body she'd collided with. She tried to ignore the flash of pain in her chest at the pained look on his face when he recognized her as well. He mumbled something, and she nodded once, assuming it was the apology she hadn't been able to get out, and then turned away, once again falling into step with her date. She prayed he didn't notice how stiff she was.

Duo blushed furiously, grateful that the dim lighting and warm air hid the heat coming off his face. How he'd managed to run into Sexta, he didn't know, but the polite yet blank mask she wore for him was enough to make him wince. He hadn't seen her this distant since they first met at the beginning of Operation Meteor. Words seemed to fail him, and not even Duo knew what unintelligent sounds fell from his mouth as he saw how she was practically clinging to the other pilot, but the curt nod and dismissal she gave him hurt worse than the mask had. He tried to turn away like she had, tried to ignore her and go back to dancing with Hilde, but his body didn't seem to know how to, so he just kept staring. It wasn't until his dance partner's insistent tugging and Wufei's deadpanned look filtered through his mind that he finally tore his eyes away and tried once again to sway to the music.

Wufei bit back a sigh as the braided pilot turned away from his gaze. What stubborn idiocy! It had been a perfect opportunity to try and cut in, and he'd blown it. Wufei knew better than to try pushing her at him again, knowing that if the baka didn't catch on to what he was doing, Sexta would. He stayed close, though, especially when the song ended and they were waiting for another to begin. But the moron passed up another chance, and in the end it was probably better for Sexta that he did. Poor Hilde's feet were constantly being mistaken for the floor. Well fine, he thought in exasperation. If Duo wasn't going to make a move on his own, then he'd get the boy talking. He made sure to stay close, not wanting to have to officially approach the idiot in order to start a conversation when the song ended. "What happened to dancing being your expertise?" he said loudly over the clapping, making Duo jump slightly. Wufei almost raised an eyebrow at how on edge the guy was.

Duo was going to kill Wufei if he kept sneaking up on him like that. He'd wait until the dragon was sleeping and then stab him to death. He nervously glanced at Sexta, who was carefully avoiding his eyes, and sighed. Things were getting more awkward by the minute. Rubbing the back of his neck he tried to find the energy for another fake smile. "Eh, not this kind," he eventually said with a shrug. His shoulders slumped further as he recognized the next song as a waltz. "Just wait for something a bit faster, you'll see," he shouted before taking advantage of the fact that Hilde had let his arm go and sliding expertly through the crowd and disappearing. Wufei and Hilde both took a step towards the spot he'd been in a moment ago, so neither one noticed when Sexta took off in the opposite direction until she too had disappeared. The two looked at each other sadly. None of this was going according to plan.

**A/N: phew! That was downright agonizing! Unfortunately, it still has to get worse before it gets better. Sadness for all! Anyway, let me know what you think, and I'll do better about getting the last few chapters up ASAP!**


	7. Down the Drain

**Second Hand**

Summary: The Gundam pilots learn a valuable lesson about communication. Can they get their stories straight before people get hurt? 1xR, 2xOC, 3x4

A/N: Alright ladies and gentlefolk, we are back in business. I've gotten my other project done and out of the way, so now we can start up Second Hand again. Yaaaay! Enjoy.

**Chapter seven: Down the drain**

Wufei didn't know how they'd done it, but he and Hilde had rounded up the group – all except Relena, who insisted on getting them drinks – and they were once again sitting around the table in the back of the gym. He deserved some sort of medal once this night was over. That, or a _really_ long vacation. Knowing he was unlikely to get either, though, he dutifully put his arm on the back of Sexta's chair, as he had a little over thirty minutes ago, ignoring the daggers Duo was unsubtly staring at him. Wufei sniffed. If he was truly that upset over it, he should do something about it.

Duo forced his eyes away from the territorial stance that was Wufei, and twirled a dessert fork between his fingers as he leaned heavily against the table, doing his best not to look as exasperated as he was. The music stopped, allowing for yet another round of applause before starting up again. Groaning, Duo sat back, stretching in his chair, continuing to twirl the fork behind his head. "Great, another slow dance," he grumbled. "Honestly, what's the point?"

Quatre squeezed Trowa's hand underneath the table. "Well, it's mostly an excuse to be close to someone you like," he offered to the rhetorical question before turning back to his date. "And those with a sense of rhythm can make that closeness into something beautiful."

Duo sat forward, pointing the fork in their general direction. "Hey, I got rhythm; I just don't like my dancing to be so structured."

Quatre didn't seem to have anything to say to that, especially since he was busy enough blushing at whatever Trowa was whispering in his ear. Sexta took in a deep breath; she felt happy for them, really, but it was hard watching it when she herself was all alone. Making a split second decision, she stood and held a hand out to the perfect soldier. "Okay Heero, time to show me what you got," she said in way of asking for a dance. Heero glanced in the direction Relena would be coming back from, but then shrugged and led her out to the dance floor, leaving everybody else extremely confused.

Duo's jaw had dropped to the floor as he watched his partner walk off with yet another dance partner. Did she have no concept whatsoever of what she was doing to him? He glanced at Wufei, who didn't seem the least perturbed that his date had run off with his partner, and then grabbed Hilde's hand and hauled her after them. He missed her rueful grin and the thumbs up she sent to Wufei.

The band was playing a waltz as Heero led her to the center of the dance floor, and they flawlessly fell in time with the three count beat. Sexta laughed as he spun and caught her again. "You're not half bad," she grinned at him.

The edges of Heero's lips twitched in an almost smile-like way. "Thank you," he said simply before falling silent again.

Sexta rolled her eyes openly at him. "Are you having a good time?" she pressed, not letting him get out of talking that easily.

"I suppose."

Well, two words were better than a grunt, she guessed. "I know Relena is," she went on.

Confusion flickered across his features. "What do you mean?" sexta was sarcastic often enough that in this instance he couldn't tell if she was being sincere or not. Was Relena miserable and he hadn't noticed. He quickly analyzed their interactions within the last hour, but didn't come up with any solid evidence either way. Relena was so polite, it was often difficult to pin her real emotions if she didn't want you to.

"Are you kidding me?" she asked, relieving his fears. "She's ecstatic to be here with you tonight. And as annoying as I find her, I think you are too. It might do you some good to show her you enjoy her company as well."

Heero wasn't sure where Sexta was getting her data from, but it didn't match up with any of his own. "I'm sure she's just here for appearance's sake," he said firmly. "I'm one of the few people she knows at this school."

Finally, Duo had been able to steer Hilde close enough to his partner that he could just barely hear their conversation over the music. His curiosity was killing him, but he did his best to remain anonymous in the crowd. "You are so dense," he heard her say as she rolled her eyes at Heero. "Remember that song you heard me listening to the other day?"

Heero thought for a moment, then recalled when he had snuck up to her room to tell her about a change in the mission she and Duo had been planning. He hadn't expected her music to be blasting and for her to be "rocking out" to it, as she'd later explained. "Yes," he said, not understanding where this was going.

Duo frowned to himself. Sexta only listened to music when she was alone. When had Heero been alone with her? And what song had she been listening to that he would be dense about? "I wanna have your babies," she said pointedly, looking Heero in the eye, daring him to misunderstand her. Duo's blood ran cold, and flight mode took over. He let go of Hilde, who he was barely paying attention to anyway, and bolted for the nearest exit.

Heero nodded to Sexta when he recognized the line from the song, but still didn't get the relevance. Sexta sighed heavily as he twisted her into the sweetheart position. "That's practically her theme song," she expounded when she figured he still wasn't getting it.

Heero blinked. "You mean…?" Heero trailed off, remembering the rest of the song was about wanting a permanent life with the man, but being afraid to say anything.

"Yeah, Relena wants you. Bad." Heero released her hand, spinning her again and bringing them back to the basic position. "And if you think you want her too, you might want to get the balls to make a move before she throws herself at you."

Heero shook his head. "I can't, we're in the middle of a war." Duty before desire, all the pilots knew that.

"Which is why you shouldn't hesitate a single second," she pressed. "You never know if you're going to have another one," she added, hating that she sounded like Duo.

Heero stared at her for a moment, wondering if he was really the dense one here. "If you really believe that, why are you still alone?"

Sexta couldn't ignore the pain that question had lanced through her. Why was she still alone? Pride? Fear? Who knew… "I have to go," she said, letting go of him. Tears were not something she wanted Heero to see from her. All of a sudden, the room was entirely too warm. She needed air.

Duo paced the side of the gym. It finally made sense. Sexta had wanted to go with Heero, but Relena beat her to it, so she asked Wufei instead, knowing that since he liked her – if his arm around her all night was any indication – he wouldn't refuse. Then the moment Relena is out of the picture, she pounces, completely ignoring Wufei's – not to mention his own – feelings for her. "Dammit…" he said, trying to calm himself down. He didn't know if he wanted to scream or strangle her at this point.

"Duo?" He whipped around wildly at the voice, almost unsurprised that it was Sexta herself that would find him out here. "What's wrong?" she asked, looking sincere. Was she really that blind about how he felt?

"Nothing, I'm fine," he ground out, turning away from her. Sexta buried the hurt she felt. Didn't he trust her at all? She was his partner, he should know by now that he didn't have to keep things from her.

"Don't hide from me," she said, putting a hand on his arm to stop him from walking away. Was it wrong that her touch, even through a glove and a jacket, was enough to light his blood on fire? "What is it?" she asked.

Yeah, like he'd be able to tell her he knew her dirty little secret, or that her feelings for Heero were slowly killing him. "I don't want to talk to you about it," he said instead. "You wouldn't understand anyway."

"I think I would," Sexta said quietly, hurt that he still wouldn't open up to her. Maybe…maybe she _should_ follow her own advice. She may not get another chance after all. Clutching at his sleeve now, she ignored the heat on her face and avoided his eyes. "I really do care about you, you know." There, she said it. Now all she had to do was hold her breath and hope for the best.

Fury ripped through him. How could she say that after what she'd told Heero? What, had he rejected her, and now she was moving on to the next best thing? He pulled his arm free of her. "You are such a slut," he accused before her eyes whipped up to meet his.

She knew he could see her pain the moment her gaze locked with his, but she didn't care. She'd already laid her soul bare to him, what was one more second of truthfulness? She stepped away from him, averting her eyes again, nodding absently as her mind tried to wrap around his words and her heart tried to reject them.

He hadn't expected her reaction. Maybe a 'Darn, now I'll have to try someone else,' but not that hurt look of betrayal. "Wait – " he started to say, reaching for her, but she'd already turned and started running back towards the gym's main doors. Guilt flooded his veins as he hesitated, but then he was running after her, trying to think of something to say to take back those cruel words.

She wasn't in the actual dance; he'd circled it three times now without a single glimpse. Maybe she'd gone to the bathroom. He headed through the archway that led to the hallway outside the main floor, which in turn led to the other smaller training rooms, as well as the bathrooms. Before he got there, though, he heard someone talking, obviously upset, coming from one of the branching halls. As he got closer, making sure to keep to the shadows, he realized it was Sexta's voice. "So I don't think I can work with Duo again for a while. I need a new partner. Can I work with you for the time being?" Who was she talking to now?

"Have you spoken with Heero?" Wufei asked patiently, humoring her since he knew it had taken a lot of courage to tell him the whole story. His lecture could wait a moment, and she needed to know he was on her side before he started.

Duo's anger started to boil again. She really had moved on to the next one. It was clever of her, though, making it seem like Duo was the one at fault. Just because he was smart enough to see through her plans, didn't make him the bad guy.

Sexta sighed in relief. She was afraid Wufei was going to tell her she was stupid for confessing and that she had to deal with it on her own, instead of helping her run like this. "No. I'm not sure he'd understand. He's got enough to worry about," she said glumly, figuring he was off making his own confessions right about now. Asking to steal his partner for a while was the last conversation she needed to be having with him now.

Duo wanted to scream! Of course she had spoken with Heero, he'd heard the whole thing! Was Wufei really dumb enough to fall for this?

"You really should tell him how you feel, Sexta, and make him see that he should be with you," Wufei sagely suggested. Yes, he'd help her take a break from her problems, but she needed to see that they weren't going to go away just by switching partners. What he didn't understand, though, was Duo's reaction. Maybe he just needed a little more pushing as well. "You'll regret it if you don't," he added, putting his hand on her shoulder.

That was it, Duo couldn't stand seeing Wufei being suckered in by her tricks any longer. This whole dance idea was stupid to begin with, he told himself as he slipped back down the halls and out into the night.

Sexta shook her head slowly. She'd already tried telling him, and look what a disaster that had been. "No," she said, fighting back tears of hurt and confusion. "Duo won't listen to me now."


	8. Confusing Confessions

**Second Hand**

Summary: The Gundam pilots learn a valuable lesson about communication. Can they get their stories straight before people get hurt? 1xR, 2xOC, 3x4

A/N: That only took forever…

**Chapter eight: Confusing confessions**

Duo sat brooding in the passenger seat of the rental car. Though most of their recent missions had been centered around the Weyland Academy, there were a few new developments in the war that required sending the gundam pilots further out than usual. It didn't surprise him one bit when he got a message stating that he was to partner with Heero for a snatch and run, what with the conversation he'd heard between Sexta and Wufei, but that didn't mean he was happy about it. She was probably off right that minute trying to seduce the guy since no one else wanted her. The whole thing made him sick.

Heero glanced at the moody teen next to him, not sure what to make of his poor attitude. The mission had been completed successfully, and they were even a few hours ahead of schedule and could snatch some sleep before classes started. Based on his previous experiences with 02, the man should have been bouncing up and down and whooping like an idiot. Well, despite his partner's internal musings, he still had to ask before they got back. "Duo?" he asked quietly.

Duo sighed heavily, swinging his gaze from the passing scenery to Mr. Perfect. He was partially upset with him too, for thinking he was too good for Sexta. "What Heero?" he responded, not bothering to hide his exasperation.

Had he the time, he would have deemed that waiting to discuss this with Duo would have increased his odds of getting both an honest and a positive answer, but as it was, their ETA was less than an hour. It was operative to make do with the current situation. "What do you think of Relena?"

Well that was out of left field. Did he think Duo was competition? Might as well squash that fear before it took root. "She's annoying as hell. Why?"

While the tone was different, the meaning of the words matched Sexta's. Neither found the girl pleasant or useful. Part one of the interrogation complete. With the successful match of part two, Heero would have the answer he wanted. "Do you think I should try dating her?" he pressed.

Duo blinked. He actually saw something dateable about the princess? This was news to him. "Well if you like her, I guess so," he said with a shrug.

Partial match, but more data was required. "Even though we're at war?"

Duo rolled his eyes. Heero should know what he thought about that by now. He'd spouted it enough around him. "Every second counts in our life. If you like her, you shouldn't be wasting your time not being with her." _Not that I get why you do_, he added to himself.

Allowing a small gesture of pleasure, he let the corners of his mouth lift. "That's almost exactly what Sexta said," he declared, confident that he'd obtained the result he'd aimed for. If both Sexta and duo thought he should pursue Relena, then he had a ninety-five percent chance of success.

Duo about face planted. "What?" he sputtered. No way he'd just heard that.

Heero frowned at Duo's incredulousness. "She told me at the dance last week. Said that Relena wanted to have my babies and that I should make a move before she throws herself at me. I know how I feel, but I just don't see how she can feel the same." Maybe he'd assessed the results incorrectly. "Should I really go after her?" he asked in way of clarification.

Duo thought he was going to be sick. "Sexta was just giving you advice?" he repeated, not caring that his voice had gone up half an octave in the process.

Heero continued to frown, not understanding the connection between Sexta's advice and his partner's obvious confusion. "Yes. While she wasn't as direct as I generally prefer, her message assisted me in realizing my feelings and that I need to act on them. What doesn't compute is why she's ignoring her own advice. Even I can see there's someone she wants to be with the way I want Relena."

Shame was an understatement. Duo felt so incredibly stupid, he wished the chair would swallow him whole. It also didn't help that he knew the feeling. He'd been dragging his feet too. Even when he'd been angry with her – which he now knew was unfounded – he'd still wanted her. "Maybe she was too afraid to admit to herself that she wanted something she was able to lose," he offered, unconsciously admitting his own fears. It was better to have her around than scare her off with a confession.

Heero grunted in his own form of a scoff. "She's a gundam pilot. She's not allowed to fear."

Closing his eyes, Duo shook his head. "Well we're all allowed to be idiots."

Heero tightened his grip on the steering wheel, conviction flowing through him. "I'm not going to be one anymore. I'm going to tell Relena how I feel as soon as we come back."

_Me too_, Duo thought glumly to himself. He owed that to her, after how badly he'd screwed things up. Maybe then she'd understand why he was such a moron and forgive him for his stupidity. He could only hope it wouldn't make things worse.


End file.
